Malo Gusto could leave Chelsea in the new year, and at this stage, the honest truth is most supporters would not be too bothered.

It is thought that Gusto is considering his future and has a host of suitors. That is not much of a surprise, as there is certainly a good player in there.

However, for a while now, Gusto has been on the decline. So, what exactly has happened to the 23-year-old? After the 2023/24 season, it looked like Chelsea had stumbled across a real bargain in the transfer market. He shone during that campaign and cost the club just £30m.

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Looking at some of his performances this season, he has not been helped by Xabi Alonso’s midfield experiment. Gusto has played in the engine room on a few occasions, and it has been a disaster.

Wherever the Frenchman has been on the pitch, though, his defending has not been as sharp. He has been losing his one-v-one duels and failing to clear his lines.

His role in Hull City’s first goal against Chelsea in September instantly comes to mind. Jorrel Hato received most of the flack for letting the ball bounce before Mohamed Belloumi’s well-hit strike, but Gusto could have defended the cross better.

Back in the 2023/24 season, maybe he would have dealt with it. Under Mauricio Pochettino, Gusto looked like the complete full-back who could defend and attack.

According to WhoScored, he made two tackles and 1.4 clearances per game in the Premier League. Last season, his averages were 1.6 and 1.1. His average for tackles has now dropped to 0.8, although his average for clearances has gone back up to 1.4.

Going forward, Gusto finished the 2023/24 Premier League campaign with six assists and an average of 1.2 key passes per game. Last term, he registered three assists and had an average of 0.8 key passes.

Under Alonso, he has yet to set up a teammate and only has an average of 0.2 key passes. What about his passing in general? That has gone down quite a bit.

His pass success rate is only 80.7% but was 86.8% last season and 89.2% back in 2023/24. Again, Gusto has not been helped by having to play in midfield. You are not usually afforded as much time in that area of the pitch as on the flanks.

Despite past links, Bayern Munich do not appear to be interested in Gusto. But a move to another club seems possible, with the France international evidently on the decline at Chelsea.